Flette lambswool pillowcase

This pillowcase in soft lambswool matches the Flette blanket, part of a mini-series by Kristine Five Melvaer. For the designs, she drew inspiration from the yarn and the techniques themselves with which it can be worked: Weaving, tying or knotting, knitting and braiding. Thus, the motif Flette - Norwegian for plait, braid, plait pattern or braid - shows plaited braids, which, however, are only recognizable as such in the large-scale motif of the spread blanket. In this small format as a pillowcase, the pattern rather reminds us of leaves or leaf fibers. For the soft wool fabric Røros Tweed uses Norwegian lambswool in the usual soft, warming quality. The special feature (in contrast to the otherwise quite strong color palette of the Norwegian weaving mill: the wool is sorted by color - warm gray and natural tones - and processed in its natural state, i.e. unbleached and undyed. The fabric surfaces are additionally roughened, which makes the already pliant lambswool even softer and more voluminous, and allows it to trap even more heat-insulating air. The wool fabric may seem a bit bulky at first, but quickly softens over time.

One of the aspects that make the Norwegian textile company Røros Tweed special is the high degree of its vertical range of manufacture. Their in-house manufacturing includes even the design process while developing the designs in cooperation with well-known local and international designers. And it’s a matter of honouring local traditions and skills for Røros Tweed that all production processes — from shearing to weaving — are based in Norway. But there is more to it.

The initial motivation behind starting something new in the Norwegian mining town of Røros was a philanthropical one. The industrialist Peder Hiort (1715–1789) bequeathed his fortune to a foundation under the condition that the institute should use the money to purchase wool so that the needy of Røros could use it for their woven piecework, which the foundation would buy up in turn.
Røros Tweed still lives up to this tradition of responsible trading, tracing back to the Hiort Foundation. Moreover, they have their production honed in on technical advancements and ecologically conscious procedures – the design and manufacturing processes factor in saving resources, reducing costs and minimising waste. Production materials qualify by their reusability, plus, the production cycle constantly reintegrates any remnants.

Røros Tweed exclusively resources their wool from sheep farms in the area. The climate in the mountains is extremely harsh, but there is an advantage to this: The farmers can dispense with pest control since the region is mostly insect-free and, therefore, with chemical treatments of the wool.